Crime of Passion
by BellaWriterChic
Summary: When a Lieutenant is murdered, the evidence points to Sarah's boyfriend. When their past comes out, the team discovers something not even Gibbs guessed was going on.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is a new one. I have been working on this for quite some time. It's still not done, but close so it shouldn't take long to UD. I hope you enjoy this story!  
Disclaimer: shall only be here. Story idea, Mine. Sarah, Mine. Chad, mine. NCIS, not so much.**

* * *

Gibbs walked into the office with a cup of coffee in his hands, as usual. Even though it was early, the whole team was working in the bullpen. There weren't any cases at the moment so everyone was stuck with paperwork. Well, sort of. Tony was teasing Ziva, as usual. McGee was working on a new program on his computer. Sarah looked like she was actually working on the paperwork. He figured she was really working on a new idea. He sighed and moved to his desk. Gibbs got to his desk the same time his phone began to ring.

"Gibbs." He listened for a few minutes. "On our way." He hung up the phone. "Grab your gear. We've got a dead Lieutenant." The team grabbed their gear and hurried off to the elevator before the doors closed.

* * *

It didn't take long to get to the scene. She was lying in her front lawn. Surrounding her was blood stained grass. "McGee, photos. DiNozzo, sketches. Ziva start bagging and tagging. Sarah, you're with me."

"Yes sir." McGee began to take photos of the crime scene and body. Tony began working on sketches next to him. Ziva started bagging and tagging evidence. Sarah and Gibbs went to talk to the couple who found the Lieutenant.

"Jamia was a nice woman. I can't believe someone would to this to her," the woman said to Sarah.

"We'll find who did this, ma'am." She nodded and joined her husband.

Gibbs turned to Sarah. "Did you learn anything I didn't?"

"Lt. Jamia Marshal was engaged, but no one knew her fiancé. She loved helping children, had no drug problems from what Mrs. Anderson could tell and just moved here two months ago. Not a lot of the neighbors know much about her."

"I can handle the rest. Go help Ziva," Gibbs ordered.

"Yes sir." She walked over to where Ziva and McGee were photographing and collecting evidence. "Gibbs sent me over to help."'

Ziva handed her a pair of gloves. "We could use it. We were just about to move to the side yard."

"We need all the help we could get," McGee added.

She waved a gloved hand in front of her face. "One thing I don't like about this job is going through the trash. It smells horrible." She pulled off one of the lids and was shocked at what she saw. "I found something!" She pulled a gun out of the can and raised it so the others could see. Gibbs walked over and looked at the gun. "It looks like it's been recently fired. Maybe the murder weapon?" She handed it over to Gibbs. He looked at it before dropping it in the bag she held out.

"Get it to Abby." She put the bag in the box with other bags of evidence collected at the scene. Gibbs walked back over to the Lieutenant's body. Ducky had just arrived and was looking over her body. "What does it look like, Duck?"

"It looks like the poor woman suffered a gunshot to the chest. It was close range so she most likely knew her killer." He pulled the liver probe out of her stomach and glanced at his watch. "Time of death was roughly 2:00 A.M."

"Thanks Duck." He got up and moved to where the rest of the team had moved to the inside of the small house. "You guys done?" They looked up at him and nodded. "Then let's go." They all gathered their equipment and the evidence they needed.

"Man," Tony began, "if she was alive, I'd date her."

"You do know Lt. Marshal was engaged, right?"

* * *

Back in the office, the only sound was computer keys as the team tried to find any leads. Gibbs was down with Ducky while the team was working on the case. A phone interrupted the quietness of the bullpen. Sarah picked up the phone and talked quietly for a few seconds before hanging up.

Tony decided to break the silence and asked, "Who was that?"

"It was no one for you, Tony. Otherwise you would've gotten the call."

Gibbs walked into the bullpen before Tony could respond. "What have you got?"

Ziva stood up. "Lt. Jamia Marshal just moved to Quantico from California to be closer to her fiancé. She works on a flight crew. As far as we know, there is no one with a motive to kill her."

McGee added, "Her bank records look clean but I am checking for any other open records."

"We are still looking for who exactly her fiancé was, boss," Tony added.

Sarah got up and grabbed her jacket and bag. Gibbs noticed her and asked, "Where are you going?"

"I have a doctor's appointment. I almost forgot about it until I was called by the office as a reminder this morning. I'll be back in an hour." She made her way to the elevator and down to the garage.

The team just stood there. "What are you staring at? Get back to work." They moved back to their desks and worked on the current case.

* * *

Sarah sat down on a seat beside a man at an outdoor café. He leaned over and pecked her cheek. "Hey baby. How are you doing?"

"Just fine. How is work?"

"We found a young woman murdered this morning. She was engaged and was so young. We still have to find her fiancé too. It's going to be hard to break the news."

"Hey, you'll figure it out." He pushed a plate toward her. "Eat, you need it."

She picked up his fork and picked at it. "Thanks." She felt his grip on her arm tighten. "Um, Chad. You're doing it again."

He quickly released his grip. "Sorry." They sat in silence for a few minutes while she finished the plate.

Sarah looked down at her watch. "I need to get back to work. Thanks for lunch." She gave him a quick kiss before getting up and walking to her car. She noticed a mark on her arm. "Not again!" She slipped her jacket on, hoping no one would notice. Before she could be late, she hurried back to the building.

* * *

**AN 2: I do hope you like this. This has been my project for a long time.  
_~This is BellaWriterChic signing off_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: So here is chapter 2. I am working on this while in the height of marching band season. State competition and BOA takes up lots of time. So it is going up as fast as my schedule will allow. I hope you like this.**

* * *

When she reached the bullpen, she noticed Gibbs wasn't around. She set her bag down and looked at the team.

"Coffee run," Tony told her.

"If he needs me, I'm going down to help Abby." She got up and moved to the elevator.

When she was gone, Ziva looked up and asked the rest of the team, "Does she seem a bit distracted to you lately?"

McGee looked up and said, "You know, if you think about it, she has been a bit lately. She zones out more than Tony."

"You know Probie's right and… Wait a minute? I zone out?"

Ziva shrugged. "You seemed to when Jeanne was around."

Tony looked at her. "Hey, that's not fair! I so did not zone out."

"Ok then, what would you call it?" McGee asked him.

"I would call it daydreaming," Tony answered. Ziva rolled her eyes before going back to her work.

* * *

Sarah quietly walked into the lab and tapped Abby's shoulder. She jumped and noticed Sarah behind her.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I just got back from lunch. Can I help you with anything?"

"Sure. I could use some help processing the evidence. There is a lot to go over."

"No problem." She pulled on a pair of gloves. "Where should I start?"

"I was about to go through the Lieutenant's clothing. You could help me with that."

"Not a problem." Sarah held up the bloodstained shirt. "Cute shirt, minus the blood and bullet hole of course."

"Are you two done messing around?" Gibbs asked as he walked in with a cup of coffee and a Caf-Pow in his hands.

Both girls looked at each other then back at Gibbs. "Actually, we were about to examine the clothes," Sarah said. Gibbs gave her a look. "Right." She turned to examine the clothing.

"The bullet Ducky pulled from the Lieutenant matches the gun found at the scene," Abby began. "I dusted the gun for prints. I found a clear set and a different set of partials. I'm running them through AFIS right now. I also tried to see if I could find the owner of the gun but the serial number was filed off."

Gibbs handed Abby the Caf-Pow. "That's good work." He turned to leave but walked by Sarah and grabbed her arm. She flinched. Abby watched them curiously.

"Are you ok?" he asked her softly.

"I'm fine, why?"

"You're distracted. Whatever it is, snap out of it."

"I will try, Gibbs." He let go and walked out of the lab.

Abby turned to her. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," she said to Abby. "I hope," she added to herself.

* * *

**AN 2: So there it is. I hope you liked it. Reviews might convince me to work faster.  
_~This is BellaWriterChic signing off_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Just got a chance to update. Contests on Saturday doesn't help. But, I do get Sundays to update. Let's hope it lasts.**

* * *

Sarah was asleep on the couch after the work day. Chad came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Wake up sweetie." She jumped up. She looked around before relaxing.

"Sorry," she said, still tired. "It was a long day." She made room for him on the couch and laid her head on the armrest.

He ran his fingers through her hair. "I can tell. You hungry?" She nodded. "Let me go get you something." He got up and made his way to the kitchen. He soon came back with a sandwich and a bag of chips. "I made your favorite."

She took the plate and smiled. "Thanks, Chad." She ate the sandwich and chips on the small plate. "I appreciate it."

Chad put the bottle that was in his hands on the coffee table next to her plate. "Hey listen, I know I can get a little violent when I drink..."

She looked at him. "A little?"

"Ok, a lot. But you know I still love you."

"Yeah." She noticed she was starting to drift off again. "Why am I so tired?"

"I don't know. Just go back to sleep." He pulled her in close. She could smell his aftershave he put on. He gave her a kiss on her forehead before she drifted off. When he noticed her breathing was slow and even, he knew she was asleep. His phone began to ring. He reached into his pocket and grabbed it before it stopped. He looked at the caller ID before answering.

"Hello, Henry."

"Where is your girlfriend?" the voice on the other side asked.

"Relax, she's asleep in my arms."

"I'll be over tonight." The line went dead.

Chad snapped his phone shut and looked down at Sarah. "I'm sorry baby," he whispered, "but I have to do this." He pulled her in tighter.

* * *

When she woke up, she noticed it was dark. Only the lamp on the table next to her was on. She felt Chad's arm wrapped around her. She also noticed there was a metal bracelet on her left wrist that wasn't there before. When she tried to move her arm, she realized it was a pair of handcuffs.

"I see you're awake." She turned her head up and stared into Chad's cobalt eyes.

She raised her left arm as best as she could. "What's with the cuffs?"

"They're to keep you from running off." She turned her head and noticed another man step out of the shadows.

"Is this really necessary, Henry?" Chad asked.

"No." He reached over and uncuffed Chad.

"What about her?"

"It stays." He glanced at her. "And give me your back-up."

"How did you…?"

"Just give it to me," he snarled. She reached over and pulled her back-up from her belt. He quickly took it. She moved closer to Chad.

Her eyes grew wide as she smelled something familiar. "How much have you had to drink?"

"Enough." She jumped up and tried to move away. Chad and Henry came after her and cornered her against the wall. Chad hit her knee with his leg to prevent her from leaving. She bent over in pain.

"What do you want from me?" she asked without looking up.

Henry replied, "I want to know anything you know about the murder of that Lieutenant and anything related to it."

"What if I told you I can't tell you that?"

Henry raised her back-up and aimed it at her. "What about now?"

"Look, all I know is the Lieutenant's background info and how she died. There haven't been many developments yet!"

Henry lowered the weapon. "I hope it stays that way." She slid down until she was sitting against the wall. He pulled Chad aside and said to him, "Watch her. I want to know of any changes she tells you." He handed him the gun before leaving the house.

Chad tossed the gun back to her. She caught it and put it back on her belt. She stood up and said, "I'm going to bed. I still have to go into work in the morning." Before he could say or do anything else, she ran off to the bedroom. She used her key from her bag to take the cuff off and threw it against the wall. A mark was on her wrist from where it was. _Great_, Sarah thought. _Now I have to make up a story for this too._ She lied down on the bed and fell asleep before Chad walked in.

* * *

**AN 2: So there is the 3rd chapter. I hope people are liking this. But, I have no way of knowing, not unless people review. Please, review. The feedback helps me and makes me happy on stressed days.  
_~This is BellaWriterChic signing off_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: So today wasn't a good day. We didn't make it into finals. I decided not to take it out on you guys and post this like I planned. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The next morning, Sarah walked in late. Gibbs looked at her for an explanation. "My alarm wasn't working." She quickly set her bag down and logged into her computer. He looked over and noticed the mark on her wrist.

"Are you alright?" By now the whole team had noticed.

"Oh, I'm fine. I got tangled in a cord last night working on electronics with a friend." She stood up and said to Gibbs, "I'm going to go see if Ducky needs any help," before walking over to the elevator.

McGee turned to Gibbs. "Boss, I may seem paranoid but she never does that. Abby and I have worked with her enough on electronics to know that she never gets tangled in the cords. Something is wrong."

"You may be on to something Probie," Tony said.

* * *

"Good morning, Duck."

Ducky turned around from where he was standing at the sink. "Good morning, Sarah. How are you this morning?"

"I've been better. Do you need any help right now?"

"Not right now, I'm afraid." He picked up the autopsy report from his desk. "I found Lt. Marshal was killed by the gunshot wound. She was killed instantly." He noticed an upset look on her face. "Is something wrong, dear?"

"Oh Ducky, I screwed up! I screwed up so bad that I don't know how to get out. I'm supposed to be able to deal with this but I can't!"

"Come sit down." He led her over to a chair. She sat down and looked at the floor. "Now tell me what's going on."

She sighed. "I met this guy when I went out with some friends. Real nice. We talked, exchanged numbers then soon started going out. But after a few months, things started to go sour." She buried her head in her hands. "How do I get out of this without getting hurt?"

Ducky kneeled down beside her and rubbed her back gently. "Try to talk to him. See if you can break it off peacefully."

She looked up. "He's not the peaceful type." She rolled up her sleeve and showed him the slight bruise forming from lunch the previous day. "That was at lunch yesterday."

"My god. He did this! Does it hurt?" She shook her head and quickly fixed her sleeve. "You better get back upstairs before Gibbs wonders why you're not working. Take this with you." He handed her the folder that held the autopsy report.

She laughed. "Yeah. Thanks for the advice. I'll talk to you later." She got up and moved to the door. "Oh, and could you please not tell Gibbs yet? I want to try to handle this myself."

"Of course, now go."

"Right." She turned and exited the morgue and rode up to the bullpen. She got off and headed for her desk. She stopped by Gibbs' desk and placed the folder in front of him.

"Autopsy report. Ducky says she was killed instantly by the bullet. No defensive wounds and tox screen came back negative for any drugs in her system." She turned to go back to her desk.

The rest of the day, the team worked on finding the Lieutenant's mysterious fiancé and any possible motive for killing her. Periodically, Sarah seemed to zone out and the team noticed. Although they all wanted to know what was wrong, they didn't want to be the one to push it.

It wasn't until it was getting close to ten that Gibbs said to the team, "It's getting late. Go home. Get some sleep and come back in the morning." The team turned to leave when Gibbs stopped her. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." She stepped around him. "See you in the morning."

* * *

**AN 2: Like I said, today was not a good day. Reviews would really cheer me up. Seriously. It's not fun to cry and I want to be happy. Make me happy, please?  
_~This is BellaWriterChic signing off_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: So here is the new chapter, finally. I am glad I found time. Really, this is a filler chapter. Enjoy!!**

* * *

Sarah pulled the plate out of the microwave and placed it on the counter. "Geez that's hot!" she exclaimed, waving her hands. She grabbed a knife and cut the sandwich on the plate in half.

"That looks good." She turned and found Gibbs right behind her.

"Oh hey, you want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good." He sat down on one of the barstools on the other side of the counter. "You seemed distracted today."

"Yeah, I know." The front door buzzed. "I'll be right back." She ran to the front door. Soon she came back with Chad. "Gibbs, this is my boyfriend, Chad. Chad, this is my boss, Gibbs."

Chad extended his hand. "Nice to meet you."

They shook hands. "Nice to meet you too." Gibbs glanced at Sarah. Chad didn't seem to notice.

"I'm going to go check something. Don't kill each other." She started walking out of the kitchen but then turned around and said, "On second thought, Gibbs, don't kill Chad." She quickly walked out of the room.

"Do I want to know?"

"Probably not."

Chad turned toward Gibbs and leaned against the counter. "How is she? At work I mean."

"She works hard. Never has let me down."

Sarah appeared on the other side of the counter. "No one got hurt, right?" She joked.

Gibbs stood up from where he was sitting. "I should get going. I'll see you at work tomorrow." He let himself out the front door.

"Why does he have a key?" Chad asked as soon as he was gone.

Sarah took a bite of her sandwich. "He helped me pick out the place while my parents were out of town. He's also helped me with a few things." She quickly finished her sandwich and put the plate in the sink. "I need to finish the laundry." She went down the hall to the laundry room.

Chad followed her. "You seem distracted. What's wrong?"

She sighed. "Listen, I don't think this is working out." He started to speak but she continued over him. "You've been drinking more every day. You've also become increasingly violent."

"So basically, you're breaking up with me?"

"It wasn't an easy decision. I really wanted this to work out."

Chad grabbed her arm rather tightly. "Fine, but you'll be back. You can't leave me forever. You need me." He let go and left.

She starred down into the open dryer. She already knew her arm was going to be sore in the morning. Quickly, she finished the laundry and ran to her room. She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes.

_Flashback_

"_No you cannot help me with the laundry."_

"_And why not?"_

"_Because last time you turned the whites into tie-dyed patterns."_

_Chad put his chin on her shoulder, wrapped his arms around her waist and said, "Then how can I help? You can't do this all alone."_

"_Here," She threw a dry towel at him, "you can help by folding that."_

_He threw it back at her and snickered. "How's that?"_

"_Hey!" A clothes war soon broke out in the small room with dry clothes flying everywhere._

_End Flashback_

"What have I done?"

"I don't know." She sat up and looked at Gibbs. "You want to talk about it?"

"How did you… You know what? Never mind. I broke up with Chad. He became too … overbearing." She hid her face in her hands.

He lightly patted her back. "You'll be fine. Do you need a day off?"

She looked up at him. "I'm not missing a day over a guy. I'm just shocked you asked me that."

He laughed. "Get some sleep." He got up and moved to the doorway. "Don't be late."

"Yes, Boss." She laid down on the bed and soon fell asleep.

* * *

**AN 2: So there that one is. I hope you did enjoy this. Please review! It's my birthday and I would love some feedback. That would be the best present anyone could give me.  
_~This is BellaWriterChic signing off_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**** Way after my last chapter's UD time but I have been editing. I think this turned out well. I would love to see some feedback so I can improve the story if something is not clear.**

* * *

The next morning, Sarah had gotten to work earlier than the rest of the team. The bullpen was quiet. She started to work on the computer. The team soon arrived. They all noticed she was there earlier than them, which wasn't common.

Ziva walked over to her desk. "Sarah, are you ok? You seem far."

"Distant, Ziva. It's distant," Tony corrected.

"I'm fine." She turned her attention back to the computer.

Gibbs chose that time to walk into the bullpen. "What do we have?" He set a cup of coffee down on Sarah's desk. "You need it."

She took a sip and smiled slightly. "Thanks."

McGee stood up and pulled the crime scene photos on the screen. "Abby was able to identify one of the sets of prints on the gun. They belong to Chad Evans." Chad's picture came up.

"He has been arrested three times for battery and theft. He was in the army until he was dishonorably discharged," Ziva added.

"Oh shit," they heard Sarah say. They looked at her to see what was wrong.

Tony asked her, "Are you ok? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine. I just need a moment." She stood up and went to the other side of the staircase.

The team watched her walk away. Tony turned around and asked, "Was it something I said?"

"No DiNozzo, Chad was her boyfriend." The team looked shocked.

"Is she ok?" McGee asked concerned.

"I'll go check on her." Gibbs walked over to where Sarah disappeared to. He found her sitting in the corner with her face hidden in her arms. He sat down beside her and pulled her close. "There is something you're not telling me. Do you want to talk about it?" He noticed her eyes were wet.

She sighed. "I guess I should've told you. Chad drank and it wasn't just a little. When he was drunk he became violent. I thought it was just a phase or something."

"Then those bruises you've been covering up were from him?" She nodded. "Did he ever…?"

"Never. I wouldn't let him," she answered before he could finish.

"When did you know it wasn't a phase?"

"When it never stopped and I couldn't leave. He would keep finding me." She tried to hide her face once more.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought I could handle this myself."

He sighed. He knew he should give her a lecture at the moment but instead said, "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah." She pulled out her back-up. "Take this down to Abby. It has my prints on it but also Chad's and a guy Chad called Henry. If I am right, his prints should match the partials. I don't know his last name but if I saw a picture I would tell you if it was him."

"How did his prints get on your weapon?"

"There was a minor altercation at Chad's the other night. They wanted to know about the case. I didn't tell them anything."

Ducky started to pass by the pair. "Oh, Jethro, I was just looking for you." He noticed how Sarah looked. "My dear, what's wrong?"

Gibbs helped Sarah back up. "Could you check her? She's got some bruises that need to be looked at."

"Of course. Now let's take a look at those, shall we?" He wrapped an arm around her. She did the same. "You know, this reminds me of a time when…," he began as they headed toward the elevator.

Gibbs took the weapon down to Abby. He was greeted by the usual loud music. "Hey Abs."

"Oh hey, Gibbs. I don't have anything yet."

He handed her the gun. "I need you to try to match the prints on this to the partials you found."

"Gibbs, this is Sarah's back-up. What happened? Is she hurt? Was she kidnapped? Is she…?"

Gibbs grabbed her shoulders. "Calm down, Abby. She is fine. She's with Ducky. Can you match the prints?"

She nodded. "I can do that. Just give me time."

"Let me know when you find something," he said as he walked out.

* * *

"What could be taking them so long?" Tony said.

Ziva ignored him. She was still staring at the profile on the screen. "If he was arrested for battery, do you think he hurt her in any way?"

"It could be possible. She has been acting a bit out of character lately," McGee replied.

Tony chimed in, "Then those injuries she kept making up stories for could've easily been from him. How could we miss that?"

"Well, she never told us anything about him or even having a boyfriend in the first place," McGee said.

Ziva added, "Probably because she knew we would look him down."

"Up, Ziva," Tony corrected. "It's look him up."

"Are you three done?" Gibbs asked them when he walked back in. "I want to know any connections with Lt. Marshall and Evans to a guy named Henry." When the team didn't move he added, "That wasn't a suggestion." The team rushed to their desks and quickly got to work on their computers.

* * *

Sarah sat down on one of the tables and rolled up her pant legs and slipped off her jacket so Ducky could see the bruises. She didn't like to show them, but she knew she could trust Ducky. He stared at them in awe.

"My dear, why didn't you come to us sooner?"

"I thought I could handle it on my own. I guess I couldn't do that."

Ducky gently put an arm around her. "Sarah, you know you can come to us at anytime." She nodded and tried to blink back tears. Ducky removed his arm. "Now let me take a look at those." She flinched whenever he touched one of the bruises. "I'm sorry if it hurts."

"It's fine. I understand." They heard the doors open and turned to see Abby rush in.

"Oh my god, Sarah!" She hugged her tightly. "Why didn't you say anything?"

She bit her bottom lip. "Um, Abby? Could you let me go?"

"Right." She let go. "Sorry."

Ducky handed her an ice pack. "Keep this on your knee when you can for a few days. That seems to be the worst. Other than that, you should heal up fine."

She fixed her pants and slipped back on her jacket before she stood up. "Thanks, Duck." She turned to Abby. "Would you like to walk with me to the office area?"

"Of course!" She gently wrapped an arm around her. "I'll take care of her, Duckman!" she said to Ducky as the girls walked out. They stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to the right floor.

Sarah leaned against Abby. "Thanks. You don't have to do this."

"Of course I do!" She pulled out Sarah's back-up. "You can have this back."

"Thanks," Sarah said quietly. She quickly put it back on her waistband.

The elevator doors opened to the office level. "Come on." Abby led Sarah off the elevator and to her desk. The rest of the team was working at their desks.

"Thanks," Sarah quietly told her. She smiled.

Abby moved to Gibbs' desk. "I got a match on the second set." She picked up the remote to the plasma and pressed a button. "Henry Stevens. Discharged from the army at the same time as Chad. Also, he was engaged to our dead Lieutenant." Henry's picture appeared on the screen.

Gibbs looked at Sarah. "Yeah, that's him," she told him. She sighed and ran her hands through her hair.

He turned toward the rest of the team. "Go bring him in." Sarah started to get up. "No, you're staying here." The team stopped and looked at them.

"But Gibbs…" she started.

"No buts."

She sighed and sat back down. "Fine." Tony, McGee and Ziva moved to the elevator with the address in hand.

"Good job, Abs," he told her. Abby nodded and went back down to the lab. He looked over at Sarah's desk. "You shouldn't be alone for awhile."

She looked up. "I'll be fine. If I need anything, I'll call." Gibbs gave her a disbelieving look. "I promise."

* * *

**AN 2:**** So there is the next chapter. I do hope you review because all the feedback helps me and makes me happy.  
_~This is BellaWriterChic signing off_**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**** So I decided to put this up. Today is my last day of school so hopefully that translates to quicker updates. But we will see. Anyway, read and review. I will take any critique or positive comments. :D**

* * *

Tony, Ziva, and McGee arrived at the address. They got out of the car and walked up to the front door. Ziva was about to knock on the door when Tony grabbed her wrist.

"We want to talk to the guy, not kill him, Ziva." He knocked on the door. "Federal Agents. Open up."

The door opened and Henry stood there, staring at them in confusion. "What seems to be the problem?"

"We'd like you to come with us so we can ask you a few questions," McGee answered.

"Why, what's wrong?"

"We found your fiancé two days ago in front of her house."

"So what seems to be the problem?"

"She's dead." Henry wordlessly followed the three agents to the car.

* * *

"I don't understand, Agent Gibbs. No one has told me how Jamia died."

Gibbs sat down across from him and pulled out the photos. "She was shot. Your prints and your buddy's were found on the murder weapon." He put a picture of the gun on the table.

"I lost that gun weeks ago! Of course it will have our prints on it. It was mine. I sometimes let Chad use it at the range."

"Then how did it end up in a trash can after being used to kill your fiancé?"

"Look, I don't know. I just found out she was killed."

"You didn't think it was strange she didn't call or come see you?"

"No, with her job she sometimes didn't call me. I thought she was still working." He ran his hands through his hair. "Oh god. What am I going to do? I have to call her parents."

Gibbs got up and left the interrogation room. He stepped into the room next door where Sarah and Ziva stood watching through the one-way glass.

"He's lying through his teeth," Sarah said.

"We don't have anything to hold him on," he told her.

"They attacked me, Gibbs! Isn't that enough?"

"There isn't any physical evidence to it." Without saying another word, Sarah walked past the pair and out of the room.

"She is not taking this well," Ziva said.

"I know. I'll go find her and see what I can do." He moved toward the door. Ziva spoke before he left.

"Is there something we are missing?"

"I'm going to find out." He walked out and found her down the hall leaning against one of the walls. She looked up and noticed him walking towards her.

"There has to be some way," she said when he got closer.

"Go home. I don't want to see you here the rest of the day."

"Come on, Gibbs! I'm more useful here than at home."

"It wasn't a suggestion," he said. She could tell by the way he said it there was no room for argument.

She sighed as she walked past him and used to the stairs to go up to her desk and grabbed her bag. She headed for the garage without saying anything to the team.

Tony and McGee watched Sarah pass by. Not long after, Ziva and Gibbs entered. Tony looked over at Gibbs. "Where is Sarah going?"

"Home." He looked at Ziva for an explanation.

"Do not look at me. I do not know why Gibbs sent her home." Tony decided to drop it.

Something popped up on McGee's screen that alerted him. "Boss, I think there might be a problem." He moved the image up to the plasma. "I was running a check on everything under Chad's name and I found he was looking into pawn shops for a gun."

"She is not safe in her own apartment, Gibbs," Ziva said.

"She should probably stay with someone," Tony suggested.

"I will go after her. She will stay with me." Gibbs got up and headed toward the elevator.

* * *

**AN 2:**** There that one is. Please leave me feedback/reviews/whatever you want to call it. It would totally make my day.  
_~This is BellaWriterChic signing off._**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: I am horrible. Real Life got in the way of updating (and my OCD on editing). But here is a new chapter now. I hope you guys like it. Seriously, any comments you have, tell me. Anything helps. And it shows you all care! :D**

* * *

The room was quiet. She was alone in her apartment working on her laptop. Sarah was in her living room with the T.V. on mute. She was so busy on her computer that she didn't notice the lock click open and someone come into the apartment. The person snuck up behind her and grabbed her shoulder. She turned around and almost jumped.

"Gibbs, don't do that! Please."

Gibbs chuckled as he moved so he was in front of her. "Sorry. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. I just plan not to see my ex right now." Gibbs put a hand on her knee. She flinched and he realized he had touched a bruise. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I feel so weak, Gibbs. I have never felt this way before. Why do I feel this way?"

Gibbs put an arm around her lightly, careful not to hit any bruises. "You're human, Sarah. It's normal." He closed the laptop and moved it. "Come on. You need to leave here and stay with someone else. He's going to look here. I'll help you."

"Ok. I'll go pack a bag." She got up and went to her bedroom. Gibbs began to gather things in her living room she would need, like her laptop, badge and cell phone.

Sarah grabbed a bag out of her closet and began filling it with clothes, pajamas, underwear and jackets. She went to her bathroom to grab her things but quickly backed out with her arms up. A gun poked out then her ex stepped out.

"What are you doing, Chad? You aren't supposed to be here."

"I know you have your boss over so don't scream, or it will be the last thing you do. Now move." He spun her around and pushed her toward her room.

"What do you want? I don't have anything you could possibly want to have."

Chad pushed her onto the bed and laughed, still having the gun trained at her. "You do have something I want. You." Sarah just stared at him. "Sarah, my dear, I missed you. I thought you missed me too. You're mine and only mine." His hand traced her jaw bone. She flinched again.

Gibbs noticed she hadn't come out of her room yet. He started to proceed toward her room and heard voices. Mostly Chad's voice. He heard a scared-like tone in her voice when she did speak. He removed his gun and listened, trying to make sure she wasn't hurt.

"Get your hands off of me! Damn it, Chad! Just leave." He heard her hands swat his away. Chad recoiled and hit her back. Gibbs heard her fall back onto mattress.

Gibbs chose that time to enter the room. "Get your hands off of her, Chad."

"You won't catch me!" Chad pulled out a ball and dropped it. The room filled with smoke. By the time it cleared, Chad was gone and Sarah was curled up on her bed. Gibbs pocketed his gun and went by the girl.

"Everything is going to be fine." He noticed a slight bruise forming on her face. "Let's get some ice on that." He picked up the bag by her bed and led her to the kitchen where he got her some ice. Sarah was near tears. "It's ok. You'll be fine." Tears began to pour out. Gibbs walked over to where she sat on the counter and let her lean on him.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," she sobbed. "None of this was."

"We're all here for you. You will be fine, I promise." He pulled back and looked at her. "Stay with me for a few days. It might be a little safer."

She laughed. "You never lock your own doors. How is it safer than here?"

He wiped a tear off her cheek. "I don't think Chad is going to follow you just to see you again."

"What about the doors?"

"I don't think he will want to walk through if he wants to live." She visibly began to relax.

"Thanks Gibbs. I appreciate this." She hopped off the counter. She wiped the tears from her eyes.

He placed an arm around her waist and grabbed her bag. He led her out the door before locking it. When they got down to his car, he helped her in. It was getting darker outside. "Are you going to be ok?"

"I think so," she said quietly. She stared out the window during the ride.

When they got to his house, she grabbed her bag and went up to the guest room. Later, she joined Gibbs in the basement. She took her notebook and pencil with her and lay in the middle of the boat. Gibbs was standing outside of the boat and sanded one of the sides.

"You know, I could just stay at a hotel for a few days."

He shook his head. "You're fine. Besides, if you go to a hotel, he might find you, even if you sign in under a different name."

She pointed her pencil at him as she spoke. "True." She sighed. "Why does this always happen to me?"

"They must like you."

"Funny, Gibbs." She yawned. "Really funny." She laid her head on the notebook and closed her eyes. A few minutes later, Gibbs stopped sanding and noticed she was asleep. Using a blank paper and her pencil, he wrote her a small note, so she didn't freak out in the morning. Quietly, he walked up the steps and turned out the lights.

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**AN 2:**** Questions? Comments? Concerns? ... I sound like my editor on the paper. Anyway. Review. Every little thing helps.  
_~This is BellaWriterChic signing off._**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**** I know I haven't put anything up in a long time on this. I am going to change that. Starting now. Here is the next chapter. Enjoy!**

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The next morning Sarah woke up to an empty basement. She noticed the note tucked under her hand. She scanned the note before grabbing her notebook and rushed up the stairs. She found Gibbs sitting in the kitchen with two mugs on the counter in front of him.

"Is one of those for me?"

He slid one of the mugs toward her. "This one is."

She picked it up and leaned against the counter. "Thanks." Looking up from her coffee, she asked, "So, what are we doing today?"

"I think we need to talk to Chad. He is probably hiding after last night."

"I could trick him. I could set him up to meet me then the rest of the team could move him. He wouldn't think he was being set up if I'm the one who calls him asking for him to come back. That's all he wants from me now."

He gave her a skeptical look. "Are you sure you are up to it?"

She nodded. "I can do this." She added more softly, "I think."

Gibbs walked around the counter and put an arm around her. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

She shook her head. "No. I have to do this. We need to get him for what he did. Even if we can't get Henry now, I know Chad is involved."

Gibbs took her mug and set it down. "Go get dressed. We should probably get going and make sure this runs smoothly." She nodded before heading upstairs to change. She came back down a few minutes later.

"Do you have everything?" he asked her.

"Yeah. Let's go." She followed him out to the car. The ride was silent like the night before. Sarah was lost in her thoughts while Gibbs tried to figure out what she was thinking.

He stopped at his usual coffee shop. "You want the usual?"

"Sure," she said quietly. Once he paid for the order and got the cups, he turned toward the base. Soon he pulled into the parking garage of the building.

"Um… Gibbs." He turned to look at her. "I'm sorry. I should have told you as soon as things got out of hand." She turned and looked out of the window.

Gibbs got out and helped her out of the car. As they were walking toward the entrance of the building, Gibbs said to her, "You have nothing to be sorry about." They got passed security and rode up the elevator to the bullpen.

When they arrived, the rest of the team was already there. "Morning, Boss. Just wondering what you wanted us to do," Tony said. "We can't find Henry or Chad. They have both dropped off the grid."

Ziva looked at him skeptically. "Dropped off the grid?"

"Disappeared."

"Why didn't you just say that?" Tony sighed.

Gibbs shook his head. "We are going to talk to Chad."

"But how, boss? He won't exactly come out of hiding on his own," McGee said.

"I'll drive him out. I know just how to get his attention." Everybody turned and looked at her.

"But Sarah, are you sure you want to do this? We would not think of you differently if you chose not to," Ziva said to her.

"I'm sure. I have a strong feeling he is a part of this case more than he is letting on. If we get him, we will also drive Henry out. I have a feeling they are both involved."

* * *

Sarah sat on a swing in the park. It was dark out and a soft breeze blew through the park. It was a calm night and she could faintly hear the traffic from where she sat. Then she heard Gibbs' voice in her ear.

"Do you see him yet?"

"No, Gibbs, I don't. Would you stop bugging me before I take this earwig out?" The other end was silent.

She soon noticed a man in the shadows. Her senses were on high alert. As he came closer, she recognized him. Sarah jumped off the swing and ran toward him. He stopped and wrapped his arms around her while lifting her for a moment.

"You were right and I was wrong," she half cried. "It's been so hard to live without you."

Chad held her close and inhaled the berry scent of her hair. He let her feet come in contact with the ground. "See? I told you. I knew you would miss me. I love you, baby." He gave her a quick kiss.

Sarah heard Gibbs say in her, "We are moving in." Her eyes looked around the park and saw the team moving in. She closed her eyes and leaned against him.

"Federal agents! Put your hands up, Chad," Gibbs said. She opened her eyes as he let go.

He looked down at her. "You tricked me!" She avoided his cold stare. "You bitch!" He caught her off guard and pushed her down. He tried to run but was tackled by Tony.

Gibbs walked over to her and helped her up. "You ok?" She nodded as she dusted the dirt off of her.

"I'm ready to get out of here." He led her to where the cars were parked.

* * *

It was late at night and the office was nearly empty. Tony and McGee had fallen asleep at their desks. That was what they all didn't like about paperwork, the late nights. Gibbs had gone downstairs to see Abby and Ziva had gone home for the night. She had gotten her work done quickly. Sarah was wide awake at her desk. The quiet hum from her computer didn't even make her tired like it usually did. Gibbs stepped out of the elevator and noticed she was still in the office and awake.

"You need to go home and get some sleep."

Sarah just shook her head. "I can't sleep and I can't go home. Don't get me wrong, I am glad that Chad is in custody but Henry is still out there. I am not giving that man the chance to jump me at my own home."

Gibbs nodded. "Just try to get some sleep. You look like you need it." He went over to his desk and started going over files on his desk. He looked over a few minutes later and noticed she had finally gone to sleep. He got out of his chair and turned out the lamp above her head. He grabbed her notebook that was trapped under her hands and carefully closed it before tucking it back under her hand.

When he was sure nothing else on her desk would be broken in the morning, he walked back to his and finished his work before falling asleep in his chair.

* * *

The next morning, the team was looking for any leads on finding Henry. Gibbs walked in with his morning coffee and addressed the team.

"Have we found anything?" The team shook their heads. He sighed. "Sarah, with me." Sarah stood up and followed Gibbs to interrogation. He stopped the elevator halfway down.

"If I send you in there alone, do you think you can handle it?"

"Yes, I am sure I can."

"Good." He flipped the switch and the elevator turned back on. He handed her the folder. "I will be in Observation just in case things go south." She nodded and stepped off the elevator when the doors opened.

She walked through the narrow hallways until she came to the interrogation room Chad was being held in. She grabbed the handle and took a deep breath before going in.

Chad stood up from his seat. "Sit down," she sternly said. He sat down again without protest.

"Feisty," he said with a small smile.

"Shut up." She looked down at the folder. "I want to know why."

"Why what?" he asked innocently.

She slammed the folder on the table. "You know what I am talking about. You and your buddy Henry killed Lieutenant Marshall and then tried to keep me from investigating you guys. Now tell me," she leaned in so his face was close to hers. "Why did you do it?" He stayed silent. She slammed her hand on the table. "Answer me!"

"I want a lawyer." He leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest. He had a smug look on his face. She stood up and sighed. She grabbed the folder and left the room.

Gibbs soon joined her outside of the room. "He freaking lawyered up. We are never going to get anything out of him and his lawyer will say there is a conflict of interest."

He gripped her shoulders lightly. "I will handle this, ok?" She nodded.

"You might need this." She handed back the folder. "I am going to go back up to the squad room." She turned toward the elevator but Gibbs held her back.

"You have something on your mind. What is bothering you?"

"He is going to get away with abuse and now murder! Of course it is bothering me. What can I do to get him out of my life?"

"Don't worry. I will handle this. Just relax, ok?" She nodded and turned to go upstairs. "Oh and Sarah?" She turned around. He noticed the fatigue in her eyes. "Go home. Change. Rest. You need to." She nodded again and headed upstairs while she fought the tears she felt coming.

He waited a few minutes before heading upstairs. They could not question Chad until his lawyer showed up. When he got up there, Sarah had already left. The rest of the team was busy working, trying to find a good reason to keep Chad in custody. Obviously Sarah had told them the news.

"What have we got?" he asked them.

"Sarah left to change but she couldn't find anything before she left," Tony informed him.

"Did not expect her to. Anything else?"

Ziva spoke from her desk. "We have nothing, Gibbs. Henry has dropped off the grid and we have not found a way to find him."

"Boss, we have nothing to go on. What are we supposed to be looking for?" Tony asked.

"I don't know. Find some way to track down the bastard!" Gibbs sighed and sat at his desk, trying to find where Henry could have disappeared to. Sarah never came back, but she called in saying she was going to take a nap and relax, like Gibbs told her.

* * *

When Gibbs walked in the front door of his home to find Sarah lying on the couch throwing a ball up and down, he wasn't surprised she was taking refuge in his home.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better but still like hell. Did you find the bastard?"

He shook his head. "He went underground." He sensed her next question and added, "Chad's lawyer advised him not to speak. We charged him and he is now spending the night in lock up." Sarah breathed a sigh of relief.

She stood up. "I was going to make something, but you are out of anything that could be made into dinner. If you want I can go get something."

"Don't worry about it. I'll go pick something up."

"Are you sure?"

"Don't worry about it. Chinese ok?" She nodded. He pulled his keys out of his pockets. "I'll only be ten minutes."

"Ok." She sat back down on the couch and continued playing with the ball. Soon she heard crunching around the house. She looked out the window and noticed Henry sneaking around. She freaked out and sneaked up the stairs, hoping he wouldn't notice. She grabbed her cell phone and hit the speed dial number.

"Come on, Gibbs. Pick up." When it got to voicemail she cursed. "Damn it Gibbs!" She heard the door pushed in and threw the phone somewhere where it could still hear anything. Henry burst into the room.

"It's good to finally see you again, Sarah. I trust you can help me?"

"Back away Henry. In fact, get your sorry ass out of this house."

He laughed. "If I am going, you will go with me. You already know too much and we don't want to risk anything coming out."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Bitch." He slapped her across the face. "You figured out my plans, didn't you?" She stayed silent. He grabbed her arm. "Where is Chad?"

"The same place you will be soon." He lost his temper and threw her hard against the wall. She hit it with a cry and slipped down. He laughed again and pulled out a gun.

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**AN 2:**** There you go! How did you like it? I would love to know. Even if you have a critique. I love those; they help me improve. And I promise I will try to add more to this soon!  
_~This is BellaWriterChic signing off_**


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